Page tools: Print Page Print All | ||||
Labour Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods was originally released in 2001 in both electronic and paper versions (cat. no. 6102.0). The paper publication will not be rereleased. However, the web version (cat. no. 6102.0.55.001) is being updated on an ongoing basis. This chapter was updated on 15 December, 2005.
15.3 ICLS 1998 made recommendations in relation to the coverage of statistics on occupational injuries and the types of information countries should aim to collect. Where practical, countries should aim to cover all occupational injuries as defined above, including non-fatal injuries causing an absence of work of at least one day, excluding the day of the accident, and fatal injuries. The statistics should cover all workers regardless of their status in employment (for example, employees, employers and own-account workers) as well as child workers, informal sector workers and homeworkers. 15.4 The measurement unit recommended to be used for statistics on the nature and incidence of occupational injuries should be the 'case of occupational injury'. If a person is injured in more than one occupational accident during the reference period, each case of injury to that person should be separately counted. The types of information ICLS 1998 recommended that countries aim to collect include information about: the enterprise, establishment or local unit; the person injured; the injury; and the accident and its circumstances. DEFINITIONS USED IN AUSTRALIAN COLLECTIONS 15.5 In Australia, data on occupational injuries and diseases are principally compiled from administrative records of Commonwealth, State and Territory compensation authorities by the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC). The description of NOHSC below is followed by discussion of the data it collects. Also discussed below are ABS measures of occupational injury and disease. NOHSC NATIONAL DATA SET FOR COMPENSATION-BASED STATISTICS 15.6 The NOHSC was established by the Commonwealth Government to lead and coordinate national efforts to prevent or reduce the incidence and severity of occupational injury and disease. Among its priorities has been the provision of comprehensive and accurate national data on occupational health and safety. 15.7 In April 1987 the first version of the National Data Set (NDS) for Compensation-based Statistics was endorsed by NOHSC. Its primary purpose is to enable the production of national and nationally comparable workers' compensation-based data. Compensation-based data for the NDS have been supplied to NOHSC by State, Territory and Commonwealth workers' compensation agencies each year from 1991-92 onwards. 15.8 A review of the NDS, which addressed the scope, definitional and classificatory issues that had arisen since its implementation, was completed in May 1999. The second edition of the NDS was implemented in State, Territory and Commonwealth workers' compensation systems from 1 July 2000. 15.9 Definitions of occupational injuries and occupational diseases used in the NDS are consistent with international standards.
15.10 The NDS coverage of workers' compensation claims is consistent with international standards except for:
15.11 The type and level of detail of the information to be collected for each claim is consistent with international standards and include:
ABS SURVEYS 15.12 Measures of the incidence of occupational injury and disease are also available from the following ABS household surveys: the supplementary survey to the Labour Force Survey, the Work-Related Injuries Survey (to be included as a topic on the Multi-Purpose Household Survey); and the Special Social Surveys, the Survey of Employment Arrangements and Superannuation (2000 only), and the National Health Survey. 15.13 While the terminology used in these surveys ('work-related injuries') differs from that used in the international standards, the underlying definitions are broadly consistent with those recommended by the ICLS. However, the ABS has not sought to distinguish between 'work-related illnesses', 'work-related injuries' or 'work-related injuries sustained on journeys to or from work'. Instead the ABS broadly defines work-related injuries as illnesses or injuries sustained as a result of work activities, or on a journey to or from work, or aggravation of pre-existing conditions where employment was a contributory factor. 15.14 The coverage of ABS surveys of work-related injuries is broader than for the NOHSC dataset outlined above and includes:
15.15 The coverage of work-related injuries by these surveys is consistent with international standards except for:
15.16 The type of information collected about work-related injuries by the ABS surveys is generally consistent with international standards and is similar to the type of data available from the NOHSC dataset. The level of detail available from the ABS surveys, particularly in relation to injury occurrences and outcomes, is generally much lower than that available from the NOHSC dataset. 15.17 As recommended in the international standards, all three surveys collect detailed information on employee, job and employer characteristics. In addition, the National Health Survey collects details of occurrences (including place of accident/incident, method received accident/incident, and type of illness/injury), and both the Survey of Employment Arrangements and Superannuation and the Work-Related Injuries Survey collect some information on outcomes of work-related injuries. Information collected on outcomes of work-related injuries includes:
DATA SOURCES 15.18 As discussed above, statistics on occupational injuries and disease are primarily available from:
FURTHER INFORMATION 15.19 For further details contact the Labour Market Statistics Section, on Canberra (02) 6252 7206.
|